The Sky and the Stars - Tom and Sarah Kazansky

-15-

Everything in the last several hours had happened so fast that it suddenly felt strange to just be sitting there in silence. So when there was movement from the bed, it almost startled her a little.

The sheets stirred, he moving beneath them. Then his heavy eyelids fluttered open to reveal his sharp blues, currently very groggy.

"Tom!" She shot out of her chair, then held back, not wanting to startle him in his fragile state.

He looked at her, but maybe didn't quite register her. Then he stared around the room, taking in everything and appearing confused.

"Tom?" she said again, more gently and less loudly this time.

Now he turned in the direction of her voice, clearly still disoriented and in the process of waking up. "S-Sarah?"

"Yes, it's me, I'm here." Should she reach out and take his hand? No, enough questioning this, enough holding back.  She did so, lacing her fingers with his. She wasn't sure how much he remembered. "You were in a crash. You had surgery, and the doctor said it went well and you'll make a full recovery."

He still blinked heavily. "Where am I?"

"The hospital."

"Oh - where's that?"

"D.C."

"Oh."

"How are you feeling?"

He blinked heavily. "Like I got run over..."

"Not quite, but the crash was pretty bad. You're lucky though, so lucky."

"Really tired..." He seemed to be dozing off again and she didn't blame him.

"I bet. You get some more rest. You have a long recovery ahead by the sounds of it." As much as she waned to talk to him, she knew he wasn't in the state for conversation. The best thing she could do was let him rest.

"Sarah..."

His sleepy-dreamy mumble startled her minutes later - she thought he had fallen back asleep. "Hmm?"

"Sarah, please stay, don't go." His voice sounded far away, like he was far away and not right there beside her. 

She shook her head firmly. "Not this time. I'm not going anywhere - I promise."

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Sarah  tried to get some rest herself, but failed. She was in a hospital after all, and far too anxious to sleep.

Pete came by with meager food and drink: snacks from the vending machine and hospital coffee, but then left her and Tom together. 

The next time Tom woke up, hours later, he was much more aware.

In fact, he caught her just as she was dozing off. "Sarah - you really are here."

Suddenly she was wide awake. "Yeah, I am."

"My mind was so fuzzy I couldn't tell if I was just dreaming or not. I was talking to you, but I couldn't tell if you wre really there ore if I was just making it up.  It's still  fuzzy - my head feels like it weighs a hundred pounds."

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm so sorry this happened."

"Yeah, it sucks, but the risk comes with the job."

Yes, she thought, and it could have been so much worse... "For a second, I thought you died..." But she forced those thoughts away because that hadn't happened, he was here - he was hurt but he was healing in the hospital and he was going to be okay, and that's what mattered.

And now they were together again, which mattered too. 

"Did Mav bring you?"

"Yes - God, he scared the shit out of me."

"I told him not to scare you - or at least I think I did. I can't remember, too fuzzy..."

"Tom, I'm so sorry."

"No need to be-"

"No, not about this, about us, before." Now it was time to recount what had been said, what had been revealed while he was asleep.

She told him everything. "And I was so worried I'd lost you. I'll never stop worrying about that."

He absorbed her words, then  spoke. "I was so angry with myself. I was convinced I'd pushed you away for good. 

"No," she assured him.  "Of course not."

"I never wanted to rush or push you."

"You could never - I've met people like that before and you are not one of them. But thank you, I appreciate it." She reached out and took his hand again and although weakened by his current state, he gave her hand a squeeze back. "I love you, Tom. I don't want to lose you, but I was, because I was pushing you away. I don't want to waste any more time being afraid."

"Sarah - I love you." Despite is current state, he was wearing that big, beautiful smile of his, which in turn made her smile. 

Neither smile faltered. "I would move to kiss you but unfortunately I can barely move, period."

She laughed. "Then I'll come to you-"

She moved out of her chair and came to his bedside, standing by the head of the bed so she could meet him where he lay propped up against the pillows. It was there in that hospital that Sarah Coleman and Tom Kazansky shared their first kiss, and it was perfect. The tense hospital  setting melted away and it was just the two of them, just them, together, and nothing more. 

Knock! Knock! Click!

The two sprang apart as the door to the room opened and in walked the doctor, followed closely by Pete.

The young Lieutenant's face lit up at the scene before him.  "Oh wow, he's awake! Add 'recovered enough to kiss' to your list, Doc."

"You're going to want to take it easy, Lieutenant Commander," the doctor urged, ignoring Pete. "I'm glad to see you doing well, but you've got a long recovery ahead of you."

"Yes, Sir."

The doctor didn't stay long.  Pete winked and followed the doc out the door, leaving them again. 

Tom adjusted himself on the bed so that he was closer to her.  "Be mine?"

She smiled down at him - she was actually taller than him, amazingly enough, standing at his bedside - and ran her fingers through his spiky dyed hair. "I already am."

(Ugh, my internet was down, terrible timing! Thankfully it's back up and rolling again!

Aw, love! ;) Haha, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))